On this study patients will receive dasatinib, a targeted therapy, for advanced NSCLC that has progressed after previous therapy. Safety and response to dasatinib will be assessed.

Fresh frozen tumor tissue must be available for genomics analysis prior to initiating dasatinib therapy. A biopsy must be obtained after any prior chemotherapy. If fresh frozen tumor tissue is not available, a biopsy will be required to participate in this trial.

CR (complete response) = disappearance of all target lesions taking as reference the baseline sum of the longest diameter (LD); PR (partial response) = at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; PD (progressive disease) = at least a 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions as reference the smallest sum LD recorded since the treatment started or the appearance of one or more new lesions; SD (stable disease) = Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD taking as reference the smallest sum LD since the treatment started

After a biopsy is done to obtain fresh frozen tumor tissue (Stage I), dasatinib is to be administered as an oral dose of 70 mg twice daily on a continuous basis for 6 weeks. Every 6 weeks radiologic exam will be done to assess response. Treatment will continue until progression of disease, intolerable toxicity or patient withdrawal.

For Stage II, a biopsy to obtain fresh frozen tumor tissue will also be done. Depending on results from Stage I and results of biopsy, treatment with dasatinib will be determined.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Twenty to seventy-five percent of patients initially treated with surgery or radiotherapy recur and become candidates for systemic therapy. Src expression has been identified in a majority of NSCLC cell lines and may be important in hypoxic growth and angiogenesis of NSCLC.

This phase II trial will investigate the activity of the oral Src inhibitor dasatinib in advanced stage NSCLC. We hypothesize that the inhibition of Src pathway with dasatinib will show anti-tumor activity in advanced NSCLC, with a tolerable safety profile.

Fresh frozen tissue is needed for the genomics analysis, thus a biopsy will be required to participate in this trial. The genomic analysis will determine if the tumor is Src-active or Src-inactive and responses to dasatinib compared. In stage I, 40 patients will be treated without prior knowledge of their tumoral Src-activity. If all stage I responses are observed in the Src-active patients, the second stage will only accrue that cohort. If all responses are observed in the Src-inactive cohort, the activity of dasatinib and genomic determination of dasatinib response will be re-evaluated. Otherwise, if during Stage I, responses are observed in both cohorts, they will be accrued separately and evaluated in a two-stage manner.

Dasatinib will be give orally twice daily and continue until progression of disease, intolerable toxicity or patient withdrawal. Imaging studies will be done pre-treatment then every 6 weeks to assess radiologic response to therapy.

Patients will be followed for 30 days after the last dose of dasatinib to assess toxicity.

Recurrence within 12 months after completion of systemic neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage NSCLC.

Combined modality platinum-based tx for Stage III NSCLC.

Prior XRT permitted if ≥1 week since completion, XRT must be <25% of bone marrow reserve.

At least one, non-radiated, measurable lesion (per RECIST).

Age ≥18 years.

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-2.

Adequate Organ Function:

Total bilirubin < Upper limit normal (ULN)

Hepatic enzymes (AST, ALT) ≤2.5x ULN

Serum creatinine <1.5x ULN

Hemoglobin ≥9 gm/dL

Neutrophil count (ANC/AGC) ≥1500 per μL

Platelets ≥100,000 per μL

Prothrombin time (PT)/a Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) ≤1.5x control

No other serious medical or psychiatric illness.

Ability to take oral medication (dasatinib must be swallowed whole).

Women of childbearing potential must have negative serum pregnancy test ≤72 hours and not >7 days prior to starting study drug.

Sexually active males and females of reproductive potential must agree to use adequate method of contraception during tx and for at least 4 weeks after study drug stopped.

Signed, written informed consent including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) according to institutional guidelines.

Exclusion Criteria:

Previous or concomitant malignancy in past 2 years other than curatively treated carcinoma in situ of cervix, or basal cell/squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

Prior tx with dasatinib or other agents that inhibit Src.

Evidence of symptomatic pleural effusions (grade 2) unless undergo therapeutic thoracentesis as part of non-study care. Successful pleurodesis allowed. Patients who require supplemental oxygen or with oxygen saturation on room air <89% are not eligible. Pericardial effusions of any grade are not eligible.

Received investigational drugs ≤4 weeks prior to starting study drug and/or not recovered from side effects of such therapy. Any other anti-neoplastic and/or molecular therapy must be discontinued 7 days prior to starting dasatinib.

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00787267